New Mexico's Spyglass Issue 2

March 16, 2012

Skandera/Martinez Push to Eliminate Parental Rights A heated political battle over third-grade retention

A heated political battle over parent’s rights ended when the clock struck noon on the last day of the legislative session with no education-reform bill passed to address reading SURÀFLHQF\�LQ�SXEOLF�HOHPHQ-tary schools.

Public Education Secretary- designate Hanna Skandera at

hearing on an education bill

Governor Susana Martinez and her followers in the leg-islature failed to compromise with reform-minded legislators, sticking steadfast to the belief that the state should have the ÀQDO�VD\�RQ�WKLUG�JUDGHUV�EH-ing held back. And so they got nothing.

5HS��0LPL�6WHZDUW�ÀOLEXVWHUHG�the governor’s bill as the ses-sion closed.

continued on page 8

New Mexico’s Spyglass A deeper look at what’s really behind the story…

Issue No.2 ›› A Free Publication Of Independent Source PAC ‹‹ March 16, 2012

Susana Martinez Perfects Pay to PlayContributions to Susana Martinez May Violate the Letter and Spirit of the Law

If it smells like pay to play and looks like pay to play, it prob-ably is pay to play--and it’s possibly illegal.

We are referring to endlessly controversial contributions

Martinez PED Vetoes: A power-play to eliminate legislative oversight“We’ll put more reading coach-es in elementary schools,” said Gov. Susana Martinez in her State of the State address.

What she did not say is that if there’s anything in the state’s budget requiring reading coaches in elementary schools, she was going to veto it.

continued on page 12to Susana Martinez and her Susana PAC from Downs at Albuquerque majority owners William Windham and John Turner.

After receiving the money, Mar-tinez awarded them a 25-year, billion dollar-plus contract.

New information shows that this deal not only stinks, but might very well be illegal. continued on page 5

Martinez veto message favors wealthy out-of-staters What do you call a governor who purposely works against the people’s will to ensure foreign corporations pay less taxes in this state than local New Mexico businesses? “Oligarch”? “Sellout”?

Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed a bill, supported state-wide, that would have lowered taxes while also closing a tax loophole for nation-wide “big-box” retailers. - Page 9.

It wasn’t just mom and pop she burned. With a few strokes of her pen, Gov. Martinez took away badly needed funds from job training, drug treatment, adult literacy programs, senior care, HIV prevention, minority children, food banks and - in lockstep with GOP lawmakers nation-wide - women’s health. - Page 10 . SPYGLASS INDEX ON PAGE 3

Rio Grande Foundation: skirting New Mexico law? Is the conservative Rio Grande Foundation acting as a front for an out of state for-SURÀW�HGXFDWLRQ�PDQDJHPHQW�company in violation of New Mexico law? %\�ODZ��IRU�SURÀW�FRPSDQLHV�cannot manage charter schools in our state. It’s pretty cut and dry, “the governing body shall not contract with a for-SURÀW�HQWLW\�IRU�WKH�PDQDJH-PHQW�RI�WKH�FKDUWHU�VFKRRO�µ��106$��%��5�� continued on page 11

New Mexico Spyglass - 1

New Mexico’s Spyglass… A deeper look at what’s really behind the story…March 16, 2012

2 - New Mexico Spyglass

KHU�QDPH��WKDW�VKH�KDG�WKH�JRYHUQRUҋV�VXSSRUW�WR�ÀQG�WKH�IXQG-ing from another source. Only silence.

But that wasn’t punishment enough for Martinez. Williams Sta-pleton did not back down. She was and remains an outspoken opponent of Martinez’s third-grade retention bill that would have adversely impacted New Mexico’s Black, Hispanic and Native American students.

So Martinez enlisted Larry Barker and KRQE in a smear cam-paign against Williams Stapleton, steering him toward some of KHU�PRUH�SOLDEOH�ÀUVW�\HDU�VXSSRUWHUV�LQ�WKH�OHJLVODWXUH�

Independent Source Pac exposed the falsehoods of Barker’s bogus attacks and those of the morally bankrupt Republicans Martinez had Barker use to smear Williams Stapleton. Indepen-dent Source Pac sent a very loud and clear message to those willing to do Martinez’s dirty work. We showed their true charac-ter for New Mexicans to see. Far from being shining beacons of light, they were revealed as hypocrites with no principles.

This is but one example of Martinez’s vindictiveness. Martinez and her surrogates have also attacked a Supreme Court judge ZKR�VWUXFN�GRZQ�KHU�LOOHJDO�FRQGXFW��6KH�ÀUHG�XQLRQ�OHDGHUV�who spoke out against her anti-working family agenda. And she GHFLPDWHG�WKH�ÀOP�LQGXVWU\³RQH�RI�RXU�EHVW�MRE�FUHDWRUV�

Martinez is not a leader for New Mexicans. She is vindictive and FRQFHUQHG�RQO\�ZLWK�DGYDQFLQJ�KHU�DJHQGD�IRU�KLJKHU�SROLWLFDO�RIÀFH��

Governor Susana Martinez has instituted a new way to govern New Mexico. Vindictiveness has replaced leadership as the primary strategy for running state government.

Let’s look at how the Governor’s vindictive governance affected a vulnerable community.

%DUHO\�LQ�RIÀFH��GD\V��0DUWLQH]�ZDV�PRUH�WKDQ�ZLOOLQJ�WR�punish the entire Black community to get back at one legisla-tor, Sheryl Williams Stapleton. Why? Simply because Williams Stapleton, the highest ranking Black legislator in New Mexico, did the right thing and opposed Martinez’s agenda of enrich-ing out-of-state corporations using New Mexico’s scarce public education dollars.

As reported by Independent Source PAC in a series of articles on our website, Martinez gutted the entire funding for the African American Performing Arts Center just because Sheryl Williams Stapleton stood up for New Mexico’s children. Martinez initially approved the funding, but after Williams Stapleton opposed 0DUWLQH]ҋV�HGXFDWLRQ�DJHQGD��VKH�OLQH�LWHP�YHWRHG�DOO��in funding for the Center last year, and again this year.

Martinez snuck her veto through without comment. She did not voice support for the Center or it’s service to the Black commu-nity. She did not acknowledge the hardship to the Center her cut would present. She did not tell Williams Stapleton, who was so instrumental in getting the Center up and running that it carries

Spyglass Editorial Susana Martinez Knows Only One Way: Her Way

A note from our editorial departmentReaders of this publication should know that ISPAC at-WHPSWHG��UHSHDWHGO\��WR�HQJDJH�VWDWH�JRYHUQPHQW�RIÀFLDOV�on the issues we cover. Disappointingly - though not surpris-ingly - the most powerful public employees in New Mexico have ignored our requests for interviews, choosing to hide rather than debate their critics. Other publications have been much more friendly to the Martinez administration, and so are granted access.

Larry Behrens, the spokesman for the Public Education De-partment, responded to an ISPAC report explicitly detailing SXEOLF�SULYDWH�FRQÁLFWV�RI�LQWHUHVW��MRE�ULJJLQJ��DQG�PRQH\�motivated policy adoption by saying “It’s unfortunate that this type of question comes up from someone known as Bill Richarson’s private investigator.”

This is a politically game-planned response that ignores VSHFLÀF�DOOHJDWLRQV�²�EDFNHG�E\�GRFXPHQWDWLRQ�²�WKDW�WKH�administration’s reforms are motivated by money and politics. Behrens’s answer is no answer at all.

Last month we tried again. This is part of an email sent from ISPAC to Behrens:

Hi Larry,

Can I schedule an interview with Hanna Skandera? I’d like to discuss her philosophy on education policy - what works and what doesn’t, grander-scale - and why she believes her initiatives are effective.

…I’m not gonna stop asking or trying to get a deeper understanding of the people we report on. I take writing and reporting very seriously, and politics don’t interest me nearly so much as policy and what’s best for the kids in New Mexico.

3XEOLF�RIÀFLDOV�VKRXOG�EH�DEOH�WR�GHEDWH�WKHLU�GHWUDFWRUV��,�KRSH�\RXҋOO� really consider my request. A request was also sent to Scott Darnell, the governor’s spokesman: Hi Mr. Darnell,

I’m writing to request an interview with Gov. Susana Martinez. The group I write and report for - Independent Source PAC - has been critical of Gov. Martinez and her policies, but it’s very important to me that we make an attempt to engage the governor and debate decisions we’ve criticized. 3XEOLF�RIÀFLDOV�VKRXOG�EH�DEOH�DQG�ZLOOLQJ�WR�GHEDWH�WKHLU�GHWUDFWRUV��,�IHHO��and I’m not nearly so interested in politics as I am in policy and what’s best for the people of New Mexico.

Thank you for the consideration.

All requests have been ignored. “Transparency” and “account-ability” are buzzwords with this administration, not principles.



tween Buster and his daugh-ter-in-law, Andrea.

Buster Goff,was originally against the Down’s contract before he was in favor of it. He changed his mind after he was given the unique opportunity to alter the contract, when other commissioners were told they could not.

Goff‘s favorable vote was the tie-breaker that ensured the Downs was awarded the contract. Did Laguna Develop-ment, the otherbidder, know about Andrea Goff?

As a fundraiser, Andrea Goff was most likely paid a percent-age of the money she raised. Based on payments made to her by Susana PAC, her LQFRPH�DGGHG�VLJQLÀFDQWO\�WR�the Goff family income.

If Buster Goff had not voted in favor of the Down’s contract, might that have cost her the lucrative work with Susana PAC? Republicans Tom Tinnin and Charlotte Rode can attest that Martinez does not hesitate to punish those who do not do her bidding.

There are other questionable contributions to Susana PAC by the Downs at Albuquerque majority owners William Wind-ham and John Turner.

continued on page 9

WHPEHU��$QGUHD�*RII�ZDV�SDLG��IURP�$SULO�WR�September.

5/5/11 $ 6,033.966/2/11 $ 7,002.477/7/11 $ 5,410.528/2/11 $ 7,304.509/6/11 $ 3,381.02

7KH�VWDWHҋV�FRQÁLFW�RI�LQWHU-est campaign disclosure law VSHFLÀFDOO\�LQFOXGHV�GDXJKWHU�in-law as a familial relationship that must be disclosed.

There does not appear to be any formal public disclosure of the familial relationship be-

has the odor of a slush fund, VLPLODU�WR�$%43$&�WKDW�EHQHÀW-ted former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, in violation of the City’s ethics code.

Andrea Goff, Susana PAC’s main fundraiser, also happens to be the daughter-in-law and business partner of State Fair Commissioner, Kenneth “Bust-er” Goff.

She raised tons of money for Susana PAC months before Martinez appointed Buster Goff to the State Fair Commis-sion.

According to Susana PAC’s Report of Expenditures and Contributions through Sep-

Susana PAC: The “Pink Slime” in New Mexico Deal MakingGov. Susana Martinez must have been heartened to learn this week that the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture is buying seven million pounds of beef containing “pink slime,” to serve as meat in America’s school lunches.

Pink slime, banned in some countries, is mostly connective tissue but can be passed off as meat. It’s an unlisted, but key, ingredient.

Martinez’s political action committee embraces a similar ideal. Susana PAC is the main ingredient in some important governmental deal making, even if we don’t know it.

Martinez and her colleagues have openly touted the Downs deal as transparent and “be-yond reproach,” but New Mexi-cans who actually believe that are eating pink slime.

7KH�LQÁXHQFH�RI�6XVDQD�3$&��Martinez’s political operation, in the Downs billion-dollar plus contract award isn’t being tout-ed by the administration, but it cannot be denied. Susana PAC is operated by Jay McCleskey, Martinez’s political adviser, and

Paid for by Independent Source PAC and not authorized by any party, candidate or candi-date’s committee.

To view investigative videos & any documents referred to in this publication, go to www.inde-pendentsourcepac.org.

You can also download two extensive investiga-tive reports by ISPAC entitled Hanna Skandera DQG�+HU�0LVPDQDJHPHQW�RI�103(', and 7KH�'LUW\�'RZQV�'HDO, at the same site.

INDEX

FBI investigating Downs deal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SDJH��

Education reform, or fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7

PED ignored minorities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

Charter school land grab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SDJH��

Legislature coverage: Government Jobs. . . . . . . .SDJH��

Legislature coverage: D’s Versus R’s . . . . . . . . . .SDJH��

Legislature coverage: Abortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SDJH��



According to Traci Wolf, vice presi-dent of the Downs at Albuquerque, “he has been hired as a consultant to assist us with preparing our re-quest for proposal.” White’s em-ployment and role in the RFP is not exactly a secret. Yet, two of the evaluators gave mon-ey to Darren White’s failed congres-VLRQDO�ELG��*DUD�FRQWULEXWHG��DQG�+HQQHVVH\�JDYH��6HH�WKH�FEC reports on ISPAS’s web page.Clearly, these two are not indepen-dent evaluators. But, this should come as no surprise. After all, Martinez used Darren White in her campaign commercials.Independent Source PAC (ISPAC) continues to investigate this mat-ter despite transparenct roadblocks placed in the way by the Martinez political machine. Please check our website: independent sourcepac.org for newly posted information and our investigative videos.

Laguna Development Corp. also happens to be Native American owned and operated.Something is rotten in New Mexico. That something is the Martinez Administration and what stinks goes way beyond the fact that Martinez’s FDPSDLJQ�UHFHLYHG��LQ�FRQ-tributions from the winning bidder. “Pay-to-Play” was how Martinez, during her campaign, described simi-lar conduct when talking about her predecessor’s administration.Susana Martinez appointed three people to evaluate the RFP, Garrett Hennessey, Charles “Chuck” Gara and John A. Garcia. The evaluators are supposed to be totally neutral and ZLWKRXW�FRQÁLFW�RI�LQWHUHVW�LQ�GHWHU-mining who should be granted the winning bid.However, Charles D. Brunt reported in an Albuquerque Journal article RQ�$XJXVW��WKH�'RZQV�DW�Albuquerque hired Darren White “to assist the racino in putting together a proposal to continue operating the racetrack and casino at Expo New Mexico for the next 25 years.”

Last November Independent Source PAC (ISPAC) uncovered an undis-FORVHG�FRQÁLFW�RI�LQWHUHVW�LQYROYLQJ�two of the RFP evaluators, appointed by Susana Martinez, that recom-mended the Downs at Albuquerque for a 25-year contract over Laguna Development Corp. ISPAC has called for canceling the contract, in addition to a request that the U.S. Attorney’s RIÀFH�RSHQ�DQ�LQYHVWLJDWLRQ�RI�WKH�BILLION DOLLAR Downs Deal.The matter has been forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Albuquerque.Government contracts are typically awarded to the entity that offers the best return to the taxpayers. How-ever, in the case of the awarding of a 25-year lease for the construction of a casino at New Mexico Fair-grounds, the RFP evaluators for the contract recommended the least favorable bid for the taxpayers. The winning bidder proposed to pay the VWDWH�D�PLQLPXP�RI��SHU�year LESS in lease payments than Laguna Development Corp., the los-ing bidder. Yet, the Downs at Albu-querque still won.

Chronology Of ISPAC Downs Deal Request For Federal Investigation November 22, 2011 Independent Source PAC requests an investigation by the US Attorney into possible “pay to play” and “bid rigging” by Martinez Administration in the awarding of the Racino Contract. ISPAC has also made an IPRA request to look deeper into the contract award.

December 6, 2011 ISPAC receives letter from the US Attorney for New Mexico stating the request for investi-gation of the Racino contract has been forwarded to the “ …Federal Bureau of Investigation for appropriate action.”ISPAC has also received a response to our IPRA request.

December 15, 2011 Independent Source PAC faxed a letter to the Special Agent in Charge of the Albu-querque Division of the FBI. ISPAC submitted this letter to provide information that it developed during its ongoing investigation into the Mar-tinez Administration’s han-dling of the contract process.

January 24, 2012 ISPAC sends copy of its inves-tigative report: “The Racino Contract & The Martinez Admin-istration: A Sole-Source Con-tract Concealed Behind an RFP” WR�WKH�)%,�RIÀFH�LQ�$OEXTXHUTXH�

March 7, 2012 Independent Source PAC faxed another letter to Special Agent in charge of the Albuquerque division of the FBI providing additional information. This in-formation involves payment by Governor Martinez’s “Susana PAC” to the daughter-in-law of the Governor’s State Fair Com-mission appointee, Buster Goff; among other items.

Governor Martinez’s Billion Dollar Downs Deal Unveiled



If so, the contract would have WR�EH�WHUPLQDWHG��,Q��Senator Dede Feldman au-WKRUHG�6%��ZKLFK�ZDV�signed into law by then Gover-nor Bill Richardson. The law states:

´1R�FDPSDLJQ�FRQWULEXWLRQ�or other thing of value shall be given by a prospective FRQWUDFWRU�RU�D�IDPLO\�PHP-ber or representative of the prospective contractor to an DSSOLFDEOH�SXEOLF�RIÀFLDO�RU�WKH�DSSOLFDEOH�SXEOLF�RIÀ-FLDOҋV�HPSOR\HHV�GXULQJ�WKH�pendency of the procure-PHQW�SURFHVV�RU�GXULQJ�WKH�pendency of negotiations IRU�D�VROH�VRXUFH�RU�VPDOO�SXUFKDVH�FRQWUDFW�µ�

The key phrase here is “pen-dency of the procurement pro-cess or during the pendency of negotiations for a sole source or small purchase contract”.

The pendency of the procure-ment process starts with the public posting of the RFP.

,Q�DQ�HPDLO�GDWHG�-XQH��,63$&�REWDLQHG�WKURXJK�an IPRA request, Dan Mourn-ing, the Deputy Manager of Expo New Mexico wrote the following to Ryan Cangiolosi, Martinez’s Deputy Chief of Staff:

´7KH�5)3�LV�VHW�ZLWK�D�SRVW-ing on July 5th, but to do this we have to post in the paper Sunday paper (sic) which has a deadline of ��QRRQ�WRGD\�µ

As ISPAC previously reported, on 7/7/11 SunRay Gaming of New Mexico contributed

$5,000 to Susana PAC, just two days after the scheduled posting date for the RFP. Un-GHU�6%��WKLV�FRQWULEXWLRQ�would be illegal if it came after the posting of the RFP.

Windham and Turner are, in their own words, “currently PHPEHUV�DQG�WKH�FR�0DQ-DJHUV�RI�6XQ5D\�*DPLQJ�of New Mexico, LLC which owns and operates SunRay 3DUN�DQG�&DVLQR�ORFDWHG�LQ�)DUPLQJWRQ��1HZ�0H[LFRµ��

Coincidentally, the Martinez Administration delayed the posting of the RFP until after this contribution. As was also previously reported, Wind-ham and Turner may not have disclosed this contribution as required by law, in their re-sponse to the RFP.

But delaying the posting may not have been enough to keep things within the law.

ISPAC has reported that the New Mexico State Fair Commission was set to vote on a contract between the Downs and the State Fair RQ��,QVWHDG��WKH�commission ruled to “leave a decision on a new lease for the Downs of Albuquerque Racetrack and Casino to the administration of Gov-Elect Susana Martinez.”

Leaving the decision to Mar-tinez meant that the lease, which was a sole source FRQWUDFW��ZDV�VWLOO�SHQGLQJ��7ZR�GD\V�ODWHU��RQ��Windham and Turner gave 0DUWLQH]��WKURXJK�WKHLU�company, Brazos Land and Cattle.

Martinez hired Dan Mourn-ing as the Interim Director of WKH�6WDWH�)DLU�([SR�10�RQ��0RXUQLQJ�WKHQ�EHJDQ�negotiating a one-year exten-sion (sole source contract) for the Downs at Albuquerque. Mourning appears to have used part of the agreements previously negotiated by his predecessor at Expo NM.

2Q��:LQGKDP�DQG�7XUQHU�JDYH�DQRWKHU��through Brazos Land & Cattle to Susana PAC.

2Q��'DQ�0RXUQLQJ�signed a one-year lease extension (sole-source con-tract) stating that the exten-sion, “continues a revenue VWUHDP�WKDW�ZH�DUH�LQ�GHV-SHUDWH�QHHG�RI�WR�VWD\�DÁRDW�RXW�KHUH��XQWLO�ZH�FDQ�ÀJXUH�out what will be the long-WHUP�IXWXUH�RI��QRW�MXVW�WKH�'RZQV�µ

2Q��0DUWLQH]�DQ-nounced that she would put the lease extension on the call of the special legislative ses-sion in order to get approval of the lease. Despite her state-ment, Martinez did not put the lease extension on her procla-mation for the special session.

2Q��0DUN�6KRHVPLWK��an attorney for the Depart-ment of Cultural Affairs that oversees Expo NM, emailed Ryan Cangiolosi that he had a draft prepared of the RFP for

the State Fair. Shoesmith of-fered to “print out the entire 5)3�ZLWK�DSSHQGLFHVµ and to bring them to Cangiolosi’s RIÀFH��&DQJLRORVL�UHSOLHG��´WKDQN�\RX�0DUNµ�

2Q��:LQGKDP�DQG�Turner gave Susana PAC the ��FRQWULEXWLRQ�WKURXJK�Sunray Gaming.

2Q��0RXUQLQJ�LVVXHG�the RFP though this left the lease extension still pending. According to an ABQ Journal article by Charles Brunt en-titled “State Fair Seeks Bids for Downs”, “Blanchard and his two Louisiana partners are seeking a third one-year lease extension on the origi-QDO��\HDU�OHDVH�µ

2Q��6XVDQD�0DUWLQH]�attended the Junior Livestock Sale at the State Fair along with William Windham. Wind-ham and Martinez sat together at the main table and Wind-ham bid on several animals. This event occurred after Windham had already submit-ted his response to the RFP and before the selection com-mittee, personally chosen by Martinez, chose the Downs as the winner of the RFP.

It’s one thing for a politician to socialize with a contributor. But it is another thing when that contributor stands to EHQHÀW�IURP�KHU�GHFLVLRQ�RQ�D�pending RFP process.

Susana Martinez Perfects Pay to Play

continued from page 1



The Fox is No Longer Guarding the Hen House. Or is She?�(GLWRUҋV�1RWH��JR�WR�LQGHSHQGHQWVRXUFHSDF�RUJ for previous reports E\�,63$&�RQ�3DWW\�0DWWKHZҋV�FRQÁLFWV�RI�LQWHUHVW��

The fox is no longer guarding the hen house. The New Mexico Public Education Department said Patty Matthews resigned as director of Options for Parents after less than six months in the position. The resignation came immediately after this year’s leg-islative session adjourned with-RXW�FRQÀUPLQJ�3('�6HFUHWDU\�Designate Hanna Skandera.

Had Skandera faced a hearing at the New Mexico Senate, it was very likely Matthews’ role overseeing charter schools she also counts as clients would have been brought up.

Hiring Matthews was entirely ZURQJ�IURP�WKH�VWDUW��,QÁX-HQFHG�E\�FURQ\LVP��FRQÁLFWLQJ�interests, and ethical miscon-duct, her actions during her brief time with the administra-tion crossed many lines.

As Director of Options for Par-ents, Matthews was in a key position to assist Skandera in enacting the “Florida Model” of HGXFDWLRQ�UHIRUP³WKH�QDWLRQDO�5HSXEOLFDQ�VWUDWHJ\�WR�VLSKRQ�off public education funds and divert them to favored compa-nies. Her prime task was to convert public schools into online or “virtual” charter schools.

There is a ton of money to be made in virtual schools, with no bricks, no mortar, no janitors, no school nurses, and only one teacher - working from another state - per hundreds of stu-dents, charging taxpayers the same per-student rate as tradi-tional schools for the privilege of sitting at a computer.

0DWWKHZV�KHOSHG�WR�EULQJ�.��,QF��D�PXOWL�PLOOLRQ�GROODU�FRU-poration and the nation’s largest provider of distance learning, WR�1HZ�0H[LFR��.��,QF��KDV�EHHQ�WU\LQJ�WR�ÀQG�D�ZD\�DURXQG�New Mexico laws that kept them out for years. After the com-SDQ\�JDYH�D��FRQWULEXWLRQ�WR�6XVDQD�0DUWLQH]��0DWWKHZV�was brought on to help pave the way.

,QFLGHQWDOO\��.��,QF��LV�FXUUHQWO\�D�GHIHQGDQW�LQ�D�IUDXG�ODZVXLW��accused of intentionally misleading shareholders by concealing serious problems in their actual performance.

Shortly before hiring Matthews, Skandera interceded on behalf of three charter schools represented by Matthews and her law SDUWQHU��6XVDQ�)R[��7KHVH�VFKRROV�KDG�EHHQ�QRWLÀHG�E\�WKH�Public Education Commission (PEC), after long and careful reviews, that their charters would not be renewed due to poor

academic performance, failing to meet their charter obligations, and other valid reasons.

$W�0DWWKHZVҋ�UHTXHVW��6NDQGHUD�XVHG�KHU�LQÁXHQFH�WR�HQVXUH�that these poor performing schools remain open and continue under-serving their students. In doing so, Skandera chose to apply a different standard to these failing charter schools than to traditional schools.

According to Skandera, using standardized tests to rate charter school performance is “arbitrary and capricious,” though they

ZRUN�MXVW�ÀQH�IRU�UDWLQJ�WUDGL-tional schools as failures so that they can be converted into charters.

Next, Skandera gave Mat-thews a sole-source contract to determine which employees of the Charter School Division VKRXOG�EH�ÀUHG��7KH�ÀUVW�RQH�on the chopping block was Sam Obenshain, Head of the Charter School Division.

Obenshain, in performance of his job, had conducted the long and careful reviews of WKH�WKUHH�ÁRXQGHULQJ�FKDUWHU�schools

(Matthews’ clients) and then recommended to the PEC that they not be renewed.

Once rid of Obenshain, Matthews and Skandera were left with D�YDFDQW�SRVLWLRQ�WR�ÀOO��7KH\�FKRVH«3DWW\�0DWWKHZV��ZKR�represents every charter school in New Mexico in their deal-ings with NMPED. She was put in charge of regulating her own clients.

Skandera gave Matthews the title, Director of the new “Options for Parents” division of NMPED, in charge of charter schools and virtual schools. Options for Parents is a confusing name in an administration so keen on eliminating parents’ rights to make important decisions about their child’s education.

After moving into her new position, Matthews referred a char-ter school seeking legal advice to her law partner. This alone should have cost her, but then she interceded on behalf of a client, represented by her law partner, who had missed a dead-line to apply for federal funds.

7KHVH�EODWDQW�FRQÁLFWV�RI�LQWHUHVW�ZHUH�GLVFRYHUHG�DQG�SXEOL-cized by ISPAC.

There has been talk that Patty Matthews helped Governor Martinez select and recruit Hanna Skandera to come to New Mexico as Education Secretary. Her name may not appear on WKH�VHOHFWLRQ�FRPPLWWHH�LGHQWLÀHG�E\�0DUWLQH]��EXW�LI�WUXH��WKHQ�Skandera owes her job, in part, to Matthews.

3DWW\�0DWWKHZV�6LJKWLQJ Former PED Options For Parents Director, Patty Matthews and Kelly Callahan (Matthew’s replacement) seen leaving the Rio Chama Steakhouse after their lunch meeting during which it is believed they discussed the future of PED’s Charter Schools Division. Secretary-designate, Hanna Skandera was also seen there in conversation with Callahan and Matthews.



For Skandera and Martinez who ultimately are responsible IRU�´IDLOLQJ�VFKRROVµ³UHPRYLQJ�kids with disabilities from public schools is one way to make their own records look better, while deceptively diverting public mon-ies to their political and business friends’ private agenda.

Paul Moore, a public high school teacher in Florida, said that is exactly what Skan-dera’s old boss has done in Florida: “It’s an absolute policy in this state now to move at-risk kids to charter or private schools”

It also doesn’t hurt that these scholarships are another way to get the taxpayers to foot the bill for private school tuition.

2YHU�WLPH�WKH�GHÀQLWLRQ�RI�D�disability in Florida has broad-ened to such an extent that allergies and asthma now are treated under the scholarship program as being a disability.

Thus, even kids with no aca-demic issues get to go to pri-vate school without having to pay tuition.

Now that’s gaming the system.

taxpayer dollars thanks to their “gaming the system”.

Stoughton found that the Bush Administration turned a blind eye to that fraud because “this program was the governor’s baby, and he had a lot of politi-cal capital invested in this.”

There have been efforts over the years to introduce these types of scholarships in New Mexico.

Because of New Mexico’s “gift ban,” which prohibits giving public funds to private entities, this kind of funding program may be harder to initiate here, especially since there was no gaming of the system found by the special education audits.

However, it is a centerpiece of the “Florida Model,” so we can expect some effort by Martinez and Skandera to try. Espe-cially because of their over-reliance on standardized test scores to determine if a public school is failing.

Kids with disabilities still have to take those same standard-ized tests regardless of the level of disability. It doesn’t WDNH�D�URFNHW�VFLHQWLVW�WR�ÀJXUH�RXW�WKDW�NLGV�ZLWK�VLJQLÀFDQW�disabilities will not perform as well on standardized tests.

he now is seeking to install na-tionwide through his company )((³PRUH�IRUPDOO\�NQRZQ�as-- Foundation for Excellence in Education.

The interesting thing about the Jeb Bush privatization reform is that fraud seems to be part of the Florida approach to special education.

In Florida, Jeb Bush pushed through a program called the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.

Using taxpayer money, the program provided scholarships to students with both physi-cal and learning disabilities so that they could attend private schools at taxpayer expense.

$FFRUGLQJ�WR�D�-XQH��Miami New Times article that detailed the widespread fraud, WKHUH�DUH��SULYDWH�VFKRROV�collecting McKay vouchers IURP��FKLOGUHQ�DW�DQ�DY-HUDJH�RI��SHU�\HDU��

That is a lot of public money ��PLOOLRQ�ODVW�\HDU�DORQH��being redirected away from public school districts.

According to Seth Stoughton, a former investigator with the Florida Department of Educa-tion, assigned to investigate fraud in the McKay program, allegations of fraud were sub-stantiated against 25 schools WKDW�UHFHLYHG��PLOOLRQ�

The Florida Education Model: A Gateway to Fraud and Deception?6NDQGHUD��*DPLQJ�WKH�V\VWHP�

“This audit is designed to clear those who turn in honest data and put the spotlight on those who don’t.”- Hanna Skandera, $SULO��

Last year, Martinez Administra-tion Public Education Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera launched a highly publicized attack against New Mexico public school districts, alleging that some districts were “gam-LQJ�WKH�V\VWHPµ�E\�LQÁDWLQJ�WKH�number of students in special education in order to receive additional funding.

In the end, much like GOP Secretary of State Diana Duran and GOP Governor Susana Martinez’s claim of widespread illegal immigrant driver’s license and voter fraud, there was no “gaming the system” found.

So why the highly publicized and accusatory campaign over the special education audit? $QG�ZK\�GLG�WKH\�ÀQG�LW�QHFHV-sary to make it so public, with attacks on the school districts?

One possible explanation is that you cannot “reform” something unless the public believes it is truly broken. And why not use this sleight of hand as cover for the Martinez Administration’s own gaming of the system?

Skandera and Martinez have been pushing hard to adopt the “Florida Model” of education reform championed by Skan-dera’s former boss, Jeb Bush.

While governor of Florida, Bush introduced a series of privatization “reforms,” which

Matt Montaño, Director of Educator Quality and Secretary desig-nate Hanna Skandera attending Legislative Committee regarding

teacher evaluations legislation similar to Florida model.

Jeb Bush



negative impacts on the rest of their lives.“It’s a sad day when one small amendment on this bill would have brought unanimous approv-al,” said Stewart as the session WLFNHG�WR�D�FORVH�RQ�LWV��WK�GD\�

Stewart and other democrats said they liked numerous poli-cies in the reform bill, especial-ly where it addressed identify-ing and targeting with special instruction those students who are struggling to read.

But the Martinez factions re-fused keeping parental rights intact.

Sponsor Mary Helen Garcia did include a weak amend-ment which would allow par-ents to petition the state on whether their student could be held back, but it was a disin-genuous option. Parents could petition only if their child met stringent stipulations, includ-ing an unreasonable 95-per-cent attendance record.

Lawmakers on the other side of the debate noted that stu-dents who get sick, or have a death in the family, or take D�YDFDWLRQ�ZRXOG�OLNHO\�ÀQG�themselves at the mercy of the Public Education Depart-ment because they hadn’t attended enough school to petition for advancement to the next grade level.

Education Secretary-Desig-nate Hanna Skandera had long said there should be no compromise on third-grade retention.

An in her State of the State speech that opened the session, Gov. Martinez made her political intentions clear when she called it “morally wrong” to move a stu-dent from third to fourth grade if WKDW�VWXGHQW�GRHVQҋW�WHVW�SURÀ-cient in reading.

Stewart battled the effort throughout the session. She

Parental Rights continued from page 1

Stewart had long espoused the need to drop automatic third-grade retention from the Martinez-backed reform bill, citing numerous studies which have shown that holding back third graders who can’t read has

and click on this story in the $UWLFOH�,QGH[��

But apparently to administra-tors who Skandera brought in from other states, that’s ZURQJ��

How do we know this?

ISPAC has obtained a copy of an email from Karina Vander-bilt to Lenti exploring ways to do just that. In the email, Vanderbilt, a Teach for Amer-ica Policy Fellow working for PED, recounted to Lenti what she had learned from PED’s General Counsel about requir-ing the use of English by those seeking alternate demonstra-tion of competency.

Vanderbilt wrote to Lenti, “We cannot require the majority of the portfolio to be in English due to the rule which allows submission in Spanish or Native Languages. Darn. We could say that submissions demonstrating competency in Reading must be in English. Perhaps we could phrase it along the lines of ‘certain sub-missions demonstrating com-petency in Reading standards must be submitted in English.’”

The email makes it clear that Lenti was looking for ways around our laws to turn New Mexico into an English only state.

But, can we expect anything less from Skandera and her out-of-state advisers?

Did PED Seek to Push an English-Only Agenda?Martinez Administration PED Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera brought in a team of out of state administrators to New Mexico. Are they now trying to force English only on New Mexico’s most at-risk students?

Leighann Lenti, Skandera’s Director of Policy, was brought in by Skandera from Washing-ton, DC. Lenti is a Republican education policy (“corporatiz-ing”) advocate and lobbyist for Wireless Generation, owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Wireless Generation is cur-rently under contract with PED to provide technology and curriculum services for K-3 education.

New Mexico is a multicultural and multilingual state. It has had a long tradition of support-ing bilingual and multicultural SURJUDPV�GDWLQJ�EDFN�WR��

But New Mexicans already know that.

State law allows New Mexico’s most at-risk students to earn their high school diplomas through a process called alter-nate demonstration of compe-tency in English, Spanish or in a Native American language.

This route to a diploma was designed to help those stu-dents who have had trouble demonstrating academic readiness for career and col-lege through standardized tests. Most importantly, it’s the law that these at-risk students be able to demonstrate com-petency in English, Spanish or Native American languages.

(For references to the NM ODZ�DQG�HPDLOV�UHIHUUHG�WR� in this article please go to LQGHSHQGHQWVRXUFHSDF�RUJ

QRWHG�RQ�WKH�+RXVH�ÁRRU�WKDW�“researched evidence dem-onstrates retention doesn’t improve achievement. A stu-dent who’s retained has better chance of dropping out.”

Other lawmakers represent-ing rural, native communities in New Mexico (long exclud-ed from the process of draft-ing education-reform legisla-tion) spoke out against the governor’s bill as well.

Mandatory retention “goes against the principal of the belief of native people, that a community makes a child whole,” said Rep. Ray Be-gaye of San Juan. “It will make the child think he’s a failure.”

Begaye also noted the dis-crepancy between the PED’s intended reforms and the Indian Education Act, which “ensures” parent participa-tion in decisions that effect a child’s education.

A coalition of lawmakers including Sen. Linda Lopez and Rep. Rick Miera had tried to get their own bill through the legislature, which would have required teams to address the needs of children who test poorly in reading before the third grade. Those teams would have included the parents, a teacher, an ad-ministrator, and other stake holders. Retention under this bill would have been more of a last resort than a state requirement.

“I don’t believe in those kinds of high-stakes tests for 8-year-olds,” Miera said.

That bill also differed from the governor’s proposal by seeking to intervene for stu-GHQWV�ZKR�ZHUHQҋW�SURÀFLHQW�in math, as well as english. It failed to pass both houses as well.



Foreign corpora-tions matter more to Martinez than locally owned businesses.The governor sent a powerful message about her priorities this week when she vetoed Senate Bill 9: Foreign corpo-rations matter more to state government than locally owned businesses.

“She said it have raised taxes for those businesses (operating in multiple states),” said Steven Mayes of MoveOn.org, “but the only way it would have raised them is if they weren’t paying WKHLU�WD[HV�LQ�WKH�ÀUVW�SODFH�µ

SB9, sponsored by Sen. Peter Wirth, would have required large retailers like Best Buy and Walmart, which operate in other states as well as New 0H[LFR��WR�ÀOHG�WKH�VDPH�WD[�returns as local businesses. It

Susana PAC’s Pink Slimecontinued from page 3

According to the Downs at Al-buquerque’s written response to the RFP, “William Windham and John Turner are currently members and the co-Manag-ers of SunRay Gaming of New Mexico, LLC which owns and operates SunRay Park and Casino located in Farmington, New Mexico.”

2Q��6XQ5D\�*DPLQJ�RI�New Mexico gave Susana Pac ��7KH�WLPLQJ�RI�WKLV�LV�RI�interest, considering that the 5)3�ZDV�LVVXHG�RQ��two weeks later. (Note that documents received by ISPAC as part of an IPRA request did not contain any campaign con-tribution disclosure information pertaining to this contribution).

2Q��:LQGKDP�DQG�Turner, through Brazos Land & &DWWOH�JDYH�DQRWKHU��WR�Susana PAC. That contribution also had interesting timing. Just a few weeks after receiv-ing that contribution, Marti-nez announced that she was putting the Downs one-year extension with the State Fair onto the call for the special legislative session.

There is also Jay McCles-key’s relationship with Charles “Chuck” Gara to consider. Gara was the evaluator ap-pointed by Martinez who gave the Downs at Albuquerque a perfect score in “manage-rial expertise,” despite the well-documented history of problems. As ISPAC previ-ously reported, Gara had hired McCleskey to run his pro-business political action com-mittee in Albuquerque. During that time, Gara was accused by members of the Albuquer-que City Council of joining the Planned Growth Strategy Task Force for the purpose of rig-JLQJ�LWV�RXWFRPH�WR�EHQHÀW�KLV�committee.

sought to close a loophole in the state’s tax code allowing those companies (with stores RYHU��VTXDUH�IHHW��WR�VHQG�SURÀW�WR�DQRWKHU�VWDWH�without a corporate income tax, like Delaware, and declare the money there.

:LUWK�ÀUVW�LQWURGXFHG�WKH�ELOO�eight years ago and has long argued it helps local business-es by making sure their larger competitors pay the same taxes they do.

Martinez had long said she would veto the bill if it cleared both houses at the legislative session, but a coalition includ-ing MoveOn, the CWA and other labor groups had rallied hundreds of supporters to con-WDFW�WKH�JRYHUQRUҋV�RIÀFH�DQG�ask her to sign the bill rather than vetoing it.

On its website, the Commu-nication Workers of America /RFDO��ZURWH�´1HZ�0H[LFR�is the last Western state that allows ‘big-box’ companies to use this loophole to avoid taxes and shift the tax bur-den onto the backs of Main Street businesses. Thousands of calls were directed to the *RYHUQRUV�RIÀFH�IURP�KHU�RZQ�citizens requesting her to sign this fair tax legislation. She has shown her true cards with this veto folks. She is not for small business. She is not for the struggling businesses and families in New Mexico. “

The bill would have lowered the corporate tax rate in New 0H[LFR�IURP��WR��SHU-cent, so not only did it level the SOD\LQJ�ÀHOG�IRU�VPDOO�EXVL-nesses, it also cut everyone’s taxes.

Martinez defended her veto in a press release, calling SB9 “misguided and arbitrary.”

“Increasing taxes on grocery stores, clothing retailers and home improvement stores, while choosing to cut taxes for a different sent of corporations - such as large banks, casi-nos, payday loan companies, or any other large corporation that pays corporate income tax - is not only misguided and arbitrary tax policy, but it’s also not the way to foster economic growth in New Mexico,” the statement says.

Wirth’s bill, as initially written, would have covered all out-of-state corporations, including banks, but was watered down in committee during the session to affect only multi-state retail stores.

“She’s operating under the Republican mantra of ‘no new taxes,’” said Mayes. “She got backed into a corner with a bill that actually lowered taxes but including all those businesses, ��RI�WKHP��E\�FORVLQJ�WKH�loophole. She sided with out-of-state companies - the one percent - over New Mexico businesses.”

The Martinez Administration claims to have no documents or written communications pertaining to how Martinez selected Gara as an evaluator for the racino bids. Is is pos-sible that all of the communi-cation was between Gara and Susana PAC, not the Gover-QRUҋV�RIÀFH"

And why was Agnes Maldo-QDGR�SDLG��E\�6XVDQD�3$&�RQ��IRU�´SURIHV-sional services” while she was an employee of ExpoNM? 0DOGRQDGR�WHVWLÀHG�WR�WKH�State Fair Commissioners on -XO\��WKDW�VKH�KDG�´EHHQ�UHYLHZLQJ�WKH�ÀQDQFLDOVµ�of the State Fair since May ��'LG�6XVDQD�3$&�SD\�her for that work and did the LQIRUPDWLRQ�ÀQG�LWV�ZD\�RYHU�to the Downs’ through Su-sana PAC? Maldonado has since become the Director of Administration for ExpoNM.

Members of CWA and MoveOn.org hand deliver a patition with thousands of VLJQDWXUHV�VXSSRUWLQJ�6%��WR�WKH�*RYHUQRUҋV�RIÀFH��)*URP�OHIW��0DUWLQH]ҋV�'LUHFWRU�of Constituent Services Henry Varela, CWA’s Miles Conway, CWA 7076 President Donald Alire, ProgressNow’s Patrick Davis, NM State Federation of Labor Presi-dent John Hendry, MoveOn.org’s Steve Mayes and Andrew Gold.



The Legislative Finance Committee report noted that charter schools seldom obtain lists of comparable properties and their lease prices, so the charter schools can be at risk of overpaying for space.

According to real estate company looking to negotiate a lease with Saylor on behalf of El Camino, the property was worth only DERXW��LQ�DQQXDO�OHDVH��,W�VKRXOG�EH�QRWHG��WKRXJK��

that many charter schools offset their own lease costs through the Public School Capital Outlay Committee, which awards funds for lease DVVLVWDQFH��,Q�)<��of lease reimbursements were issued to charter schools at a total cost to taxpayers of $8.3 million. It is not known to what extent the El Camino Real lease payments were reim-bursed.

6D\ORU�WHVWLÀHG�LQ�ODWH��before the Public Education Committee.

“I think the Charter Act origi-nally was set up and just tied the charters’ hands behind

their back from day one. They’re not allowed to sign a lease for more than a year; they’re not allowed to borrow any money to create facilities or improve facilities; and because of the anti-donation clause, they can’t use any public funding to improve their facilities if they’re privately owned.”

In other words, it seems unfair to Mr. Saylor that the New Mex-LFR�FRQVWLWXWLRQ�SUHYHQWV�WKH�VWDWH�IURP�SD\LQJ�KLP�WR�À[�XS�KLV�privately owned property at taxpayer expense.

ISPAC is currently reviewing emails obtained through an IPRA request from the New Mexico Public Education Department as to whether the Director of Options for Parents, Patricia Mat-thews and her law partner Susana Fox, are seeking the ability to make an end run about the New Mexico Constitution and the &KDUWHU�6FKRRO�$FW��6%��WR�VHH�KRZ�WR�IXQG�LPSURYHPHQWV�

The Charter School Land GrabIndependent Source PAC is currently investigating the hidden world of Charter School leases.

According to a Report to the Legislative Finance Committee entitled, “Program Evaluation of New Mexico Charter Schools” GDWHG�-XO\��WKH�FRVW�RI�some Charter School leases, “decrease the ability to spend resources on instruction.”

Charter schools often rent pri-vately owned buildings to use for their school, and according to the Legislative Finance Com-mittee report, there has been a “growth of private, specialty charter school developers that have large amounts of capital on hand to aid in start-up costs.”

In New Mexico, Rick Saylor oc-cupies the role of charter school developer. Saylor developed and owns four charter school properties, which he leases to different charter schools.

,Q��SHUKDSV�UHFRJQL]LQJ�WKDW�KHU�´HGXFDWLRQ�UHIRUPµ�SODWIRUP�LQFOXGHG�VLJQLÀFDQWO\�LQ-creasing the number of charter schools in New Mexico, Saylor FRQWULEXWHG��WR�6XVDQD�0DUWLQH]ҋV�JXEHUQDWRULDO�FDP-paign.

A New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee report singled out the high lease costs of one of Mr. Saylor’s charter school properties stating, “El Camino Real reported spending over $1 million on lease costs for buildings, with about $600 thousand funded out of operational fund. These costs accounted for about 14 percent of all spending from operational funds.”

$FFRUGLQJ�WR�DQ�$OEXTXHUTXH�-RXUQDO�UHSRUW�IURP��WKH��PLOOLRQ�DQQXDO�OHDVH�ZDV�“nearly twice what two other large charter schools pay the same landlord in other parts of town.”

Photo of El Camino Real Charter School in Albuquerque

Gov. Susana Martinez burned local businesses with her veto of Senate Bill 9, but she saved some wrath for the budget as well. Page 39 of the budget bill featured two of her several line-item vetoes: ��6KH�VODVKHG��IRU�DGXOW�OLWHU-DF\�SURJUDPV�DQG��IRU�\RXWK�education programs in Santa Fe. Other veto victims: ��IRU�WKH�0DLQVWUHHW�SURJUDP��

which, according to its website, has had a KDQG�LQ�FUHDWLQJ��QHZ�EXVLQHVVHV�E\�“provid(ing) resources, education, train-ing and technical services that stimulate the economic vitality of each participating community while celebrating local heri-tage and culture.” ��IRU�WKH�$IULFDQ�$PHULFDQ�3HU-forming Arts Center. ��IRU�D�*DOOXS�IRRG�EDQN��

��IRU�VXEVWDQFH�DEXVH�WUHDWPHQW�

programs in Rio Arriba County. ��IRU�D�ZRPHQҋV�KHDOWK�VHU-vice program in Santa Fe County. So Martinez appears to have joined in the GOP’s nation-wide power play against women’s health. Other victims of her veto pen include home-delivered meals, tourism pro-motion, HIV prevention and aging and long-term services for seniors in Valencia County.

Women’s Health and the Poor are Among Martinez’s Veto Victims



And that is a good thing. As ISPAC previously reported, an investigative series by the Miami Herald on Florida charter schools found that for-SURÀW�PDQDJHPHQW�FRPSD-QLHV�UHFHLYH�DV�PXFK�DV��of a charter school’s entire operating budget. The money WKDW�SD\V�WKHVH�IRU�SURÀW�FRP-panies is siphoned away from local public school budgets.Money that might otherwise be used to pay teacher sala-ries, books and other supplies.But, recent actions of Paul Gessing, the president of the Rio Grande Founda-WLRQ��UDLVH�VHULRXV�UHG�ÁDJV��Among the concerns, wheth-er the Rio Grande Founda-tion is serving as a front for a IRU�SURÀW�PDQDJHPHQW�FRP-pany so they can operate charter schools here in New Mexico despite being prohib-ited to do so. Gessing recently submitted notices of intent to start four “virtual” charter schools un-der the banner of New Mexi-co Connections Academy.A non-publicly operated char-ter school needs to have a QRQ�SURÀW�HQWLW\�GHVLJQDWHG�as management. Enter the Rio Grande Foundation. The New Mexico Connections Academy even uses the same P.O. Box as the Rio Grande Foundation. Gessing is listed as the appli-cant on behalf of the charter schools and describes his experience to operate a FKDUWHU�VFKRRO�DV�´3UHVLGHQW�3DUHQW�$GYRFDWH�IRU�&KRLFH�in Education”. Not much experience in the area of school administration.Doug Turner, a Rio Grande Foundation board member, one time Republican guberna-torial candidate and advertis-ing executive, also happens to be the board President of the New Mexico Coalition for

Charter Schools. Rio Grande Foundation’s role in the application process cannot be denied. But, who is really going to run the school since Gessing, Turner and the other board members have no relevant experience?New Mexico Connections Acad-emy “has plans to engage &RQQHFWLRQV�$FDGHP\�RI�New Mexico, LLC an operat-LQJ�DIÀOLDWH�RI�&RQQHFWLRQV�(GXFDWLRQ�//&«IRU�FXUULFX-OXP��WHFKQRORJ\��DQG�RWKHU�VHUYLFHV�XQGHU�WKH�WHUPV�RI�the professional services DJUHHPHQW��DOVR�NQRZQ�DV�D�PDQDJHPHQW�FRQWUDFW��µConnections Education LLC LV�WKH�VHFRQG�ODUJHVW�IRU�SURÀW�manager of “virtual” charter schools in the country second RQO\�WR�.��LQF��&RQQHFWLRQV�is in turn owned by Pearson Education. An English com-pany that is one of the larg-HVW�IRU�SURÀW�SURYLGHUV�LQ�WKH�country of “educational materi-als, technologies and assess-ments”.,Q��3HDUVRQҋV�1RUWK�American Education Division PDGH��ELOOLRQ�LQ�UHYHQXH�ZLWK�D�QHW�SURÀW�RI��PLOOLRQ�dollars. On the notice of intent, Gess-ing listed two “advisors”. One is a lobbyist working for Pear-son Education and the other a lobbyist working for Connec-tions Education. There is little doubt that New Mexico Connections Academy ZLOO�EH�UXQ�E\�D�IRU�SURÀW�PDQ-agement company an appar-ent violation of state law. Has Rio Grande Foundation received money from Connec-WLRQV�(GXFDWLRQ�&RQQHFWLRQV�$FDGHP\�WR�DVVLVW�WKH�IRU�SURÀW�company’s gaining access to the New Mexico market? Only they know. Rio Grande Foundation con-ceals its sources of funding.

Though Rio Grande Founda-tion has in the past received funding from the shadowy privatization groups the Cato Institute and the State Policy Network, two sponsors of the American Legislative Exchange Council (“ALEC”) that is behind a push to hand private companies our tax dollars.Connections Education is a privately held company that doesn’t disclose how it spends its money either. But, based upon actions by the QRQ�SURÀW�IRXQGDWLRQ�3HDU-son operates, Rio Grande Foundation could be getting funding from Connections or Pearson for giving them a toehold in the state.Pearson’s foundation is cur-rently under investigation by the New York State Attorney *HQHUDOҋV�RIÀFH�IRU�DOOHJD-WLRQV�RI�LQÁXHQFH�SHGDOLQJ�DQG�bribery.Connections has been in the front lines of moving taxpayer dollars out of neighborhood schools and into the hands of private companies. Mickey Revenaugh, the vice president and co-founder of Connections Academy was the co-chair of the ALEC Education Task )RUFH��%DFN�LQ�-XQH��Revenaugh co-wrote along with RIÀFHUV�IURP�.��LQF��$/(&ҋV�model virtual school bill.Legislation that is backed by Governor Susana Martinez and her Public Education Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera.Connections operates a myri-ad of “virtual” charter schools where the students do not at-tend neighborhood school, but rather take classes by com-puter from their homes. And that leads to the next possible violation of state law.According to New Mexico law, “a charter school shall be nonsectarian, nonreligious

and QRQ�KRPH�EDVHG�SXEOLF�school�µ��106$��%��-�As part of its sales pitch, Con-nections offers to provide the technology necessary for ele-mentary school kids to work from home. That money is pennies UHODWLYH�WR�WKH�SURÀW�WKH\�PDNH�Not unlike the way bootleggers took over distribution of liquor during prohibition. Connec-tions makes money by ensur-ing that any school they oper-ate also pays for its curriculum and testing materials.But how effective is this “vir-tual” home schooling?Connections Academy op-erates Texas Connections Academy, which is described DV�´D�IRU�SURÀW�FRPSDQ\�WKDW�contracts with the Houston Independent School District to run the cyber-academy.”Texas Connections Academy VWXGHQWV�SHUIRUPHG��BELOW the state average on standardized tests. In addition to being illegal in New Mexico, there is little evidence that kids do any better in a “virtual” home school setting.The National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado just released a major study on full-time virtual academies. The study labeled these programs “a conver-JHQFH�RI�KRPH�VFKRROLQJ��charter schools and online FRQWHQW�SURYLGHUV�µThe study found that there is no reliable data that shows that these full-time “virtual” academies produce better results than neighborhood schools. They do however, siphon off valuable resources from local public schools.7KHVH�IRU�SURÀW�PDQDJHPHQW�companies are turning our kids into guinea pigs with unproven education approaches for the purpose of making a lot of money.


Rio Grande Foundation: Skirting New Mexico Law?



Removing oversight is actually a prominent theme in these edu-cation vetoes. Martinez has killed a requirement that the PED report to the Legislative Education Study Committee and the Legislative Finance Committee on the effectiveness of technical assistance services by local education cooperatives, before PED is allowed to make an allocation. Without the LESC and LFC watching over them, these technical jobs are more likely to be manned by out-of-state consultants, paid for with a blank check

backed by taxpayer dollars.

The PED also, thanks to an-other Martinez veto, does not have to report to the LESC and LFC on its student-teacher ac-countability reporting system. What would be the harm of letting elected representatives monitor such an important system? And why did Martinez also veto a line preventing dis-closure of a student’s personal information without written con-sent by a parent or guardian?

The superintendents council LQ�1HZ�0H[LFR�DOVR�ÀQGV�LWVHOI�cut out of the loop on early readership initiative funding. While district superintendents

would seem to be major stakeholders in how early-readership dollars are spent, the PED can go on its own after Martinez vetoed a line requiring their insight. PED, again, is enabled to VSHQG�LWV�PRQH\�ZLWKRXW�RYHUVLJKW�IURP�NH\�RIÀFLDOV��

The move to take away parents rights, by mandating reten-WLRQ�RI�WKLUG�JUDGHUV�ZKR�GRQҋW�WHVW�SURÀFLHQW�LQ�UHDGLQJ��LV�DOVR�bolstered by Martinez’s vetoes. The governor axed a line from the budget which requires taxpayer money for a program which extends the school year for K-3 students with literacy issues be used only for that program. Sources say the program has been effective in combatting illiteracy, and would undercut the PED’s desperately political effort to impose mandatory third-grade retention.


Martinez PED Vetoes: A power-play to eliminate legislative oversightMartinez has said she used her veto power in the state’s bud-get to ensure public funds were being spent responsibly. But she has also, a little sneakily, vetoed oversight in education that will enable the ongoing priva-tization effort in PED and in public schools.

&KHFN�RXW�SDJH��RI�WKH�state’s budget, where the words “for reading and in-structional coaches” have been nixed from the line “The general fund appropriation to the public education depart-ment for intervention in D and F schools is contingent on the department using the funds for reading coaches or instruction-al coaches in D and F schools DV�LGHQWLÀHG�E\�WKH�$�%�&�'�)�Schools Rating Act.”

Why take away the mandate WKDW�IXQGV�JR�VSHFLÀFDOO\�WR�reading coaches? This section of the budget - education - is riddled with vetoes to undo checks and balances for ensuring the New Mexico Public Education Department act in the best interests of elementary-age kids.

It’s curious, also, that an outspoken champion of getting dollars directly into classrooms would veto this line: “The general fund appropriation to the public education department for the pre-kindergarten program and the kindergarten-three-plus program shall be used only for direct instruction, transportation and ap-proved administrative costs.”

As ISPAC has reported before, the PED under Martinez has put money meant for New Mexico’s schools into nation-wide organizations like Teach for America. Removing oversight on ZKHUH�SXEOLF�GROODUV�FDQ�EH�VSHQW�ZLOO�OLNHO\�EHQHÀW�7)$�DQG�similar organizations over New Mexico’s instructors.



Lewis represents Rio Rancho and is a history teacher at Cibola High School, which is public. He’s also a small-government conservative. He does not see a contradiction there.“There’s a difference between government jobs: There’s good ones we need, that do great things, and there’s others we don’t,” he said.When Gov. Martinez said “Government doesn’t create jobs,” Lewis believes most of the state understood she was not talking DERXW�WHDFKHUV�RU�ÀUH�ÀJKWHUV�RU�JDUEDJH�PHQ�RU�QXFOHDU�VFLHQ-tists.So, I asked him, what jobs is she talking about? Let’s eliminate public safety and education and every other job we believe is necessary. What’s left?´$V�IDU�DV�VSHFLÀF�MREV��WKHUHҋV�OD\HUV�DQG�OD\HUV�RI�EXUHDX-FUDF\�µ�KH�VDLG��´$Q\�MRE�WKDW�QHHGV�RYHUVLJKW«��,Q�P\�RSLQLRQ��those are the jobs and the companies with people in a mindset where government is the answer to everything.”:KDW�VSHFLÀF�MREV�ZDV�KH�WDONLQJ�DERXW��WKRXJK"�,�DVNHG�ZKHUH�these jobs were, what departments or even buildings, so I can JR�ÀQG�WKHP�DQG�DVN�ZK\�WKH\�VKRXOG�VWLOO�KDYH�ZRUN�ZKHQ�WKHLU�paychecks are crushing our economy.“Find those areas of government where there’s layers of bu-reaucracy,” he said to me, while I scribbled his words and wrinkled my brow.I have done this before. I really have. Everyone at the Public Education Department or the Department of Tourism or the Public Regulations Commission thinks his or her job serves some necessary function. Big-picture, it makes sense. As far as individual jobs, though? Not to that employee./HZLV�VDLG�WKH�JRYHUQPHQW�RI�1HZ�0H[LFR�KDV�JURZQ�E\��SHU-cent in recent years, a higher rate than the population. I thought JURZWK�PHDQW�PRUH�SHRSOH�ZHUH�JHWWLQJ�MREV�²�WKDW�JRYHUQPHQW�growth means more people employed by government.Again: More people employed.Government jobs, Lewis said, “don’t add dollars into economic productivity, or bring down our national debt.”The national debt again.“I want to fund education,” Lewis said, “but not by taxing people who are producers. I’m not for punishing people’s success.”Neither am I. But isn’t there a difference between rich and poor people when it comes to putting money into the economy? Isn’t VRPHRQH�ZKRҋV�ZHDOWK\�JRLQJ�WR�VDYH�KLV�H[WUD�IXQGV��ZKLOH�ÀUH�ÀJKWHUV�RU�JDUEDJH�PHQ�DUH�JRLQJ�WR�VSHQG�WKHLU�PXFK�VPDOOHU�paychecks on rent and food and clothes?I don’t get to ask that question. Lewis has to get back to the +RXVH�ÁRRU��+H�OHDYHV�PH�ZLWK�WKLV��´7KH�EHVW�UROH�WKH�JRYHUQ-ment can play is get out of private citizens’ ways.”Not on trash day. see more of Phil’s Corner on pages 14-15

Jobs. Good Jobs, Bad Jobs? Rich Men… the rest of usThere’s been a thorn stuck in the folds of my cerebrum since Gov. Susana Martinez gave the State of the State speech my ÀUVW�GD\�FRYHULQJ�WKH�OHJLVODWLYH�VHVVLRQ��0DUWLQH]�VDLG�´,ҋYH�ORQJ�VDLG�JRYHUQPHQW�GRHVQҋW�FUHDWH�MREV��,W�GRHVQҋW�²�VPDOO�EXVL-nesses do.”:H�KHDU�WKLV�VR�RIWHQ�LQ�WKH�ODUJHU�SROLWLFDO�GLDORJXH��DQG�,�ÀQG�it maddeningly confusing. Wasn’t Martinez a badass district attorney before she became governor, and aren’t the salaries of DAs in this country paid for with taxes? Now she’s governor, surrounded by a staff of state employees. Those aren’t all gov-ernment jobs?$UHQҋW�P\�SDUHQWV�²�D�SXEOLF�VFKRRO�PDWK�WHDFKHU�DQG�D�QD-WLRQDO�ODERUDWRU\�FRPSXWHU�VFLHQWLVW�²�JRYHUQPHQW�HPSOR\HHV"�$UHQҋW�ÀUH�ÀJKWHUV�DQG�FRSV�DQG�JDUEDJH�PHQ�DQG�URDG�ZRUN-ers? And isn’t that a good thing?“Yes, but where does the money that pays them come from?” Rep. Dennis Kintigh, of Roswell, said to me when I put those questions to him. I picked Kintigh because he wants to com-SOHWHO\�HQG�WKH�VWDWHҋV�ÀOP�FUHGLW�SURJUDP��VR�KH�PXVW�EH�KDUG�core conservative.“You take it,” he said (of the money). “The government compels people to give it that money. It means they have less money to spend on shoes for kids, food for their families, new cars.” Right. But taxes pay for services we need.“Oh, yeah,” Kintigh said. “You have to have them. That’s a fact, but it’s also a fact that we need to minimize” the amount of taxes people pay.2.��EXW�,�GRQҋW�WKLQN«�This is where something happened which I will admit I wasn’t quite ready for, even though I absolutely saw it coming. Kintigh was getting bugged by his colleagues in the House to get back RQ�WKH�ÁRRU��´2QH�PRUH�PLQXWH�µ�KH�WROG�WKHP�Then he turned to me and pivoted our conversation toward the IHGHUDO�GHÀFLW�´<RX�NQRZ�KRZ�ELJ�RXU�QDWLRQDO�GHÀFLW�LV"µ�KH�DVNHG�PH��,ҋYH�heard so many different numbers on that one, I don’t even both-HU�WU\LQJ�WR�JXHVV��'RHVQҋW�6HDQ�+DQQLW\�VD\�LWҋV��WULOOLRQ"´$ERXW��WULOOLRQ�µ�.LQWLJK�VDLG�“How do we solve that? Tax the rich? Fair enough,” he said. 7KHQ�KH�H[SODLQHG�WR�PH�WKDW�HYHQ�LI�ZH�WRRN��SHUFHQW�RI�WKH�HDUQLQJV�RI�SHRSOH�LQ�WKH�8�6��ZKR�PDNH�PRUH�WKDQ��PLOOLRQ�DQQXDOO\��WKDW�WRWDO�ZRXOG�FRPH�RXW�WR�OHVV�WKDQ��ELOOLRQ�$QG�WKHQ�KH�ZDV�JRQH��LQYLWLQJ�PH�WR�ÀQG�KLP�ODWHU�WR�FRQWLQXH�the conversation.So I sought out Tim Lewis, another Republican in the House.

Phil’s Corner at the Legislature



can kill a bill by voting it down. Or they can chicken out and table it, in which case it’s also dead.This is the meat of a legislative session. It’s the whole reason DOO�WKHVH�ELJ�VKRW�PHQ�DQG�ZRPHQ�²�ZDUULRU�OLNH�VXUYLYRUV�RI�an odious election process - have come together in Santa Fe

IRU��VWUDLJKW�H[KDXVW-ing days.To haggle over bills. Bills to salve society’s wounds are introduced by the dozens. They swim against the cur-rent, to live or die.The chairperson (like a capo on “Sopranos”) is overseeing this Voters and Elections meeting, and asks if anyone in the audience would like to speak against the proposed constitutional amendment. This hap-pens at every committee meeting, for every bill.Lots of hands go up. Seven people who identify themselves as

“registered lobbyists” for various health insurance companies �8QLWHG��%OXH�&URVV�%OXH�6KLHOG«��VWDQG�DQG�VSHDN�IRU�DERXW�one minute apiece.´«SXWV�XV�RQ�WKH�URDG�WR�VRFLDOL]HG�PHGLFLQHµ�LV�RQH�SKUDVH�that’s deployed, by a woman with short, asymetrical black hair, whose huge suit collar has sparkling little spots all over it.$OVR�EUDQGLVKHG�DERXW�E\�7KH�6HYHQ�/REE\LVWV�LV�WKH�WHUP�´ÀV-cal impact.”Fiscal impact. Fiscal impact. Fiscal impact.One guy, actually here to speak on another bill, raises his hand when it’s time for supporters. He’s the only one. He says he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgekins Lymphoma some years ago and “if not for social medicine, I would not be here.”Dr. James has to speak when the “audience” of mostly lobby-ists is done. Quite loudly, he points out that the leading cause of bankruptsies in the country is health care costs, for people who already have health insurance. (When this hearing is over, 'U��-DPHV�ZLOO�DFWXDOO\�ÁDEHUJDVW�RQH�RI�WKH�OREE\LVWV�E\�ÁDVK-ing her a huge smile on his way out of the room. She will act incredulous.)And that’s besides the point, because the amendment is not for a new system of single-payer healthcare, Dr. James says.

Wafting in utter essence of politics.I’m sitting through a meeting of the House Voters and Elections Committee. I’m also wafting in utter essence of politics.We think we elect people, but the legislators at the Roundhouse GXULQJ�WKLV��GD\�OHJ-islative session are not, actually, people. They are letters. They are ei-ther “D,” or they are ”R.”There are seven Demo-crats and six Republi-cans on this committee. They will vote on two issues over the next one-and-a-half hours : health care, and mini-mum wage. The votes will run straight down SDUW\�OLQHV��

Nate Gentry, a Republi-can from Albuquerque, makes the strongest impression on me of anyone here. “What does ‘affordable’ mean?” he bullshits through a smirk, exaggeratingly throwing his hands in the air, and saying RYHU�DQG�RYHU�´,�GRQҋW�PHDQ�WR�EH�ÁLS�µ�HYHQ�WKRXJK�KH�GRHV�

“What does ‘accessible’ mean?” Weak.House Joint Resolution 23 seeks to amend the New Mexico Constitution to include this: “Health care is a fundamental right that is an essential safeguard of human life and dignity. The state shall ensure that every resident has the opportunity to realize this right by establishing a comprehensive system of quality health care that is accessible to each resident on an equitable basis regardless of ability to pay.”Rep. Gail Chasey (D-Albuquerque) is sponsoring the resolu-tion, and she’s brought, as an expert, a med student from 810�ZKRVH�ÀUVW�QDPH�LV�-DPHV��,�ZDV�ODWH�WR�WKLV�KHDULQJ��and trapped in my seat once I got there, so I never got his last name). Dr. James is feisty, loud, and grasps this subject quite well. He appears to have put a lot of work into drafting those two sentences.For a bill to become law, it must survive committee. “Agriculture and Water Resources,” for example, is a committee. Or “Appro-SULDWLRQV�DQG�)LQDQFH�µ�2U�´,QGLDQ�DQG�&XOWXUDO�$IIDLUV�µ�(WF«��(The one I’m at, again, is “House Voters and Elections.”)Committee is where lawmakers make their bones, voting “Yes” or “No” based on all sorts of variables. Any of these committees

Mental Floss (1993) by Steven Hansen part of the capital collection at the Roundhouse

More Phil’s Corner at the Legislature



,WҋV�´D�PRUDO�VWHS�IRUZDUG�µ�,WҋV�´D�G\QDPLF�GHÀQLWLRQ�WR�KHDOWK�care which may change through time.” It “obligates the state to progressive evaluation” of how well New Mexicans are being cared for, medically speaking.The term “watered down” comes up a while later, after Gen-try gets insufferably clever again. He begins to propose an amendment (to the constitutional amendment, dammit) which adds “water” and “food” before “Health care.”Because promising health care as a right is the same as prom-ising food and water (and “nutrition,” Gentry says in jest) as a guaranteed right, Gentry says.I don’t get his point, and I kind of don’t want to.Gentry is showboating. Seriously. Halfway through suggesting his revision, he says he’s decided to “withdraw” his amend-ment. Just wanted to start to suggest it to prove a point, appar-ently. People in the room laugh.Revisions are made by Democrats on the committee, in hopes of recruiting Republican votes. The word “affordable” is insert-ed. There’s an attempt at changing the word “ensure” to “make a reasonable effort.”The Declaration of Independence, Dr. James says, does not say “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that the state can afford.”You should never immediately blame a politician who says “I was for it before I was against it.” Good ideas get watered down to nothing in committee, squished and shaped in an effort to get Republicans or Democrats to vote against their party, which does not happen.So the whole big machine of lobbyists turns out to be meaning-less, because everyone votes based purely on partisanship. ��'ҋV��5ҋV��7KH�OREE\LVWV�KDYH�LQÁXHQFHG�QRWKLQJ��$QG�\HW�WKHUH�WKH\�VLW��LQ�UHDOO\�QLFH�FORWKHV��VDWLVÀHG�E\�D�MRE�GRQH�

Next up is another bill. It wants to raise the minimum wage for WKH�HQWLUH�VWDWH��UHODWLYH�WR�LQÁDWLRQ�EDVHG�RQ�VRPH�XQLIRUP�FDO-FXODWLRQ��,W�ZRXOG�XS�WKH�PLQLPXP�ZDJH�QH[W�\HDU�IURP��DQG�KRXU�WR��

All the same lobbyists who didn’t like the health care amdend-ment have stuck around to speak up against this minimum wage increase.,W�SDVVHV�RXW�RI�WKLV�FRPPLWWHH��ZLWK�HYHU\RQH�YRWLQJ��again, straight down party lines. The Republicans do not want WR�LQFUHDVH�WKH�PLQLPXP�ZDJH�WR�FRLQFLGH�ZLWK�LQÁDWLRQ��DUJX-ing it isn’t paid for. The Democrats do.��

6ZLWFK�RQH�SHUVRQ�KHUH�IURP�´µ'µ�WR�´5µ�²�RU�WKH�RWKHU�ZD\�around - and these bills amount to nothing. Laws about health care, or what the poorest people in New Mexico earn to buy DQ\WKLQJ��DUH�DW�WKH�PHUF\�RI�WKHVH��SHUVRQ�FRPPLWWHHV�

If I have a point here, and I’m not sure I do, it’s this: These all seem like nice people (except for Gentry), but they vote with their party. Each and every one of them.

He’s here on a mission from God.Rep. Alonzo Baldonado told me he is praying for my children I haven’t had yet. “Because a child growing up with a father who GRHVQҋW�FDUH�IRU�OLIH«�µ�+H�HQGHG�KLV�VHQWHQFH�WKHUH��EHFDXVH�the rest should speak for itself.%DOGRQDGR�KDV�LQWURGXFHG�D�ELOO�DW�WKH�OHJLVODWXUH��+RXVH�%LOO��which would require every minor who wants an abortion to write a letter about it to her parents, “delivered personally to the ad-dressee by the physician or agent (who works for the physician).” Forty-eight hours after delivery, the procedure is legal.Stories about the bill in local papers were missing something crucial: comment from Baldonado.6R�,�VHW�RXW�DIWHU�KLP�P\VHOI��:H�WDONHG�IRU�DERXW��PLQXWHV�EHIRUH�KH�KDG�WR�JHW�EDFN�RQ�WKH�ÁRRU�RI�WKH�+RXVH��EHFDXVH��he was told, “Kiki needs you.”%DOGRQDGR�LV�D�\RXQJ�JX\��LVK��LQ�KLV�ÀUVW�\HDU�UHSUHVHQWLQJ�Valencia County. He’s friendly and easy to talk with, even when he’s judging me (“My heart hurts for you,” he said at one point). He is not here for his understanding of economics and taxation, he said. He’s here on a mission from God. “To save babies.”And America: “If you look at history, and look at nations that have risen to the top, none of them exist anymore. All the em-pires are gone. Then there’s America. I’ve got to sit back and look and wonder how many years America has left, and wheth-er it will end before weknow it. In my mind that day will come. We can’t continue on the way we’re going.”Society is on a bad path when it “takes God out of the equa-tion,” he said (adding that “Darwin’s fossil record is full of holes”). That path will get darker and steeper if we continue killing the unborn.I asked him why pro-lifers don’t rally and decry civilian casual-ties in war, and he said that’s not a problem for him to solve. I asked him whether there’s a contradiction for Republicans, whose ethos is limited government, telling American women how they have to act when it comes to the most personal deci-sion they may ever make.On that one, he said I was only thinking about the woman. He thinks about the child that woman is carrying, and “the honor and blessing of carrying a life.” Allowing women to kill their un-born babies, he said, is like seeing someone who’s fallen and hurting on the sidewalk and walking away without helping.Except that it’s murder, plain and simple. He repeatedly men-tioned his three daughters and said, a little ominously, “if you threatened one of my daughters, I wouldn’t hesitate to take you out.” (As a quick aside: I’ve never threatened anyone’s daughter, and I look forward to passing from this Earth some day many decades from now still able to say same.) Baldonado thinks murdering a 2-year-old is the same as an abortion. I pegged him down to make sure I understood that correctly.“How dare we think it’s OK to take the life of a child,” he said. Then he headed back to Kiki. I would not have put it that way, but I’m happy to have the conversation. I’m happy Baldondado is, too.



New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council Reaches Historic Agreement with City of Santa FeA fruitful relationship be-gan this week when the City of Santa Fe adopted a community workforce agreement that will en-sure much of the money for public projects stays within the community.

The new CWA is with the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council. From now on, public works projects ZRUWK�PRUH�WKDQ��ZLOO�EH�UHTXLUHG�WR�KLUH� local, represented workers.

“The city can be assured of on-time, on-budget, safe, consistent performance,” said Ray Baca, executive director for the Building and Construction Trades Council, “and the workers on the job can be assured

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For documents referred to in this publication go to www.independentsourcepac.org.

Paid for by Independent Source PAC and not authorized by any party, candidate or candidate’s committee. Michael Corwin, Treasurer

they’re represented, with proper compensation, training and safety.”

The CWA was approved in a unanimous vote by the Santa Fe City Council.

Baca said workers who want to get on city jobs don’t have to be in a union already, they just have to be willing to be represented by the council.

7KLV�LV�WKH�ÀUVW�VXFK�DJUHH-ment in the state of New Mexico, Baca said. The HFRQRPLF�EHQHÀWV�LQFOXGH�continued employment op-portunities for local workers, who spend money they’re paid by the City of Santa Fe within the city of Santa Fe.

“Whenever a contractor gets a job, they have to hire D�FHUWDLQ�DPRXQW�RI�TXDOLÀHG�

workers from the Santa Fe area,” Baca said. “We JHW�WKDW�EHQHÀW��DQG�WKH�ZDJHV�VWD\�KHUH�µ

Mayor David Coss and Councilor Dominguez con-gratulated the Building Trades Council and the Northern New Mexico Central Labor Council for their QHYHU�HQGLQJ�HIIRUWV�WR�ÀJKW�IRU�ZRUNLQJ�IDPLOLHV�

Mayor David Coss signs historic Community Workforce Agreement with City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez and the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council members looking on

Documents

New Mexico's Spyglass Issue 2